Our view: Heritage site makes sense (finally) for skate plaza

TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD • DECEMBER 13, 2009

It’s taken almost two decades, six temporary sites and eight proposed permanent sites, but the long-overdue effort to build the first skate plaza in St. Cloud is nearing reality.

The St. Cloud Planning Commission last week called for a public hearing Jan. 12 of a recommendation by city staff and the park board to build a half-acre skate plaza at Heritage Park, 225-33rd Ave S.

Having followed this issue for at least a decade, we believe the Heritage plan is a reasonable compromise considering all the pros, cons, costs and objectives.

That said, we also applaud the commission for choosing to hold the hearing because to this point residents have not had a chance to testify about the site. They deserve a voice.

However, it must be noted that if that voice follows similar community meetings about other sites, expect to hear that familiar NIMBY cry, which further reiterates something members of the commission and eventually the St. Cloud City Council must recognize: There is no perfect location.

Indeed, the perfect location would be Eastman Park/Lake George or other sites closer to the center of St. Cloud. But as research shows, everything from neighborhood opposition to higher building costs due to environmental factors have lessened their appeal.

Heritage certainly is not in the urban core, a top objective in original plans. But it is close (but not too close) to private residences, on a bus line, and has 92 acres of space. In fact, this plan uses a half-acre either just to the east or west of the seldom-used Heritage Park Nature Center. That’s sixth-tenths of 1 percent of the park. The rest remains untouched — and restrooms and parking already exist.

It’s also worth noting that skateboarders and inline skaters are very willing to do their part to provide a place to pursue their passion.

How willing?

They have pledged to raise at least $150,000 toward a plaza. The city, as it has done with other capital projects, will match that 2-for-1 with existing funds — funds that must go toward capital projects. Coupled with $50,000 in state aid available for sidewalk and lighting improvements on site, there is at least $500,000 available for the plaza.

One final point: With the completion in September of a new greenhouse at Munsinger and Clemens Gardens, the skate plaza appears to hold the somewhat-dubious distinction of being the longest-planned-but-never built parks proposal.

It’s time to change that — and barring some compelling new facts unveiled Jan. 12, Heritage Park is the site for such a change.

Get preview of skate plaza

By Adam Hammer, aehammer@stcloudtimes.com

Published: May 30. 2007 12:30AM

Austin Lee, 14, of the St. Cloud Parks and Recreation Board hopes Thursday's fundraiser for St. Cloud's skate plaza will be more than a way to raise money — it will be a way to create unity.

"It's not just for skateboarders," said Melissa Ruebl, who assisted Lee with setting up the Skate Unity event. "Now we've got artists involved."

Skate Unity will feature blank skateboard decks painted by area artists up for silent auction from 5-8 p.m. at the Red Carpet Event Center. The Receders, a local band that features music from the past and present, will perform from 8-11 p.m. The event is open to all ages until 8 p.m. Admission is $5.

"It's not just about skateboarding. It's just what the proceeds go to," Lee said.

Community members can take a look at 3D graphic images from Site Design Group Inc. of the proposed plan by Mike Chau for the skate plaza.

A skate plaza is different from a skate park because it refers to a landscaped park space that has skateable features such as stairs and benches built into the design.

"We pretty much have everything except the money," Lee said.

Based on the proposed size, the plaza compares with other similar skating facilities that have cost between $500,000 and $1 million.

There will be more than 30 painted skateboard decks in the auction painted mostly by area college and high school students. One deck will be autographed by the Youth Shelter Supply skate team.

"Whatever artists want to paint is what's on them," Ruebl said. Ruebl works for the Youth Shelter Supply skateboard and snowboard shop. "From what I've seen so far, they're all really good."

This is the fourth fundraising event for the skate plaza. Ruebl said she hopes to make this an annual event.

On the scene: May 31 at the Red Carpet Event Center in St. Cloud

By Adam Hammer aehammer@stcloudtimes.com

Published: June 07. 2007 12:30AM - Last updated: June 07. 2007 8:35AM

Skateboard graphics have always been a prominent aesthetic within the sport, from Birdhouse's hawk skull to World Industries' little devil and even the old-school Powell-Peralta bones.

But after a few skating sessions, the paint is chipped and scraped away and it becomes another used and abused piece of equipment.

When skateboarder and Parks and Recreation board member Austin Lee, 14, picked out the locally-designed skate deck he was going to bid on at the Skate Unity silent auction fundraiser, he had no intentions on letting the paint meet concrete. Lee, like a few others at the event, was looking for a piece of art to hang on the wall.

Skate Unity at the Red Carpet Event Center featured skateboard decks that were designed and painted by local high school and college artists. The decks were up for silent auction to help raise money for the St. Cloud skate plaza.

Lee's favorite was a deck designed with Sharpie markers in a Bob Dylan music theme by Tech High School student Dan Nyden. The skateboards up for bid had numerous different themes, and many of them had little to do with skateboarding — there was a rubber chicken, a few abstract designs, a paisley themed deck and others.

The event brought art and skateboarding communities together and featured music in the later hours by The Receders. Attendees were also able to take a look at the proposed plans for the skate plaza in 3D designed by SJA Architects.

Seeing all those skateboards made me think of my first professional deck. It was a double-vision by Vision — one of the first twin-kick boards. I painted the top of the deck with some cartoon characters I created and covered it with clear grip tape. Now that's old-school.